CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao --- After voting precincts closed Monday afternoon
last week , the Army's 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division braced for another
challenge in most parts of Central Mindanao in keeping security tight until the
winners are officially declared, the military here said Tuesday.
The entire election day was spent by
military and policemen doing the round of precincts which were reported to have
issues mostly on commotions between supporters of opposing candidates.
Incidents recorded since late night
Sunday (May 8) include explosions coming from rifle grenades hitting shanties
and nearby structures of Datu Unsay public market in Maguindanao town, resulting
in the death of one farmer, Habiri Katapukan, and wounding of another three
persons.
As precincts of Tambunan Elementary
School in Guindulungan, Maguindanao opened early Monday, uproars were felt
between the Liberal Party mayoralty candidate supporters and UNA mayoralty
candidate supporters which resulted in the death of two persons, Tagani Midtimbang,
who died from physical injuries, and a certain Ogay Pega who was shot dead by
one of the supporters of the opposing party.
In Pagalungan town, a rocket-propelled
grenade was also fired and exploded two meters away from Mamasabulod Elementary
School around 6:45 a.m. However, it did not hamper the conduct of elections
until voting was over Monday afternoon.
At past 9 in the morning, supporters
of the incumbent Benzar Ampatuan and supporters of his opponent also engaged in
a brawl that further turned into a firing of weapons and resulted to wounding
of four persons, namely: Saula M. Usop 17, Ibrahim Usop, 23, Badriya Usop, 42,
and Juhari Mohamad, 23.
Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, Task
Force Central commander and head of Task Force CHOP (Clean, Honest, Orderly and
Peaceful) elections, said generally the peace and order situation of his area
of jurisdiction was peaceful as compared to the 2013 national and local
elections.
A total of 15 election related
violence incidents (ERVI) had been recorded for election day alone, a
significant decrease from the former 38 in 2010 elections and 24 in 2013
elections, respectively. These resulted in death of three persons and injuries
of 10 others.
Pangilinan went around the entire area
of operations to personally see the deployment of the soldiers and to check on
any issue and concern that might have come up requiring his decision the entire
day.
“The massive peace covenant signing
campaign prior the election day has greatly caused the decrease of the ERVIs,”
he said.
“We have noticed that the candidates
themselves detest violence and hone a clean and credible electoral process,
which is a welcoming development,” he said.
“Despite the numerous challenges that
have tested the security sector, the measures prepared for contingency plans
were successful in hampering atrocious plans and actions,” Pangilinan said.
“The heavy presence of soldiers and
police in areas which were identified as areas of immediate concern pre-empted
election-related violence to prosper,” he added.
As early as the first week of May,
troops were already pre-deployed and pre-positioned to different strategic
areas that the command deemed necessary that troops be temporarily stationed.
The Task Force Kampilan CHOP which was
led by Col, Romeo Brawner, Jr., and
tasked as a rapid deployment force, was also sent to areas of immediate
concern.
It was the same unit that
stopped the riot between supporters of mayoralty candidates of Shariff Aguak
Municipality a day before the election as well as to incidents in Datu Unsay
and Guindulungan municipalities. (PNA -
Cotabato)
